


Take Care

by EldritchSandwich



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, F/F Diversity Bingo, Fluffy Sandwich, Gen, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Literal Sleeping Together, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 04:32:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7252213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EldritchSandwich/pseuds/EldritchSandwich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Korra's poisoning at the hands of Zaheer, she faces a long road to recovery. Asami chooses to be there for her even while trying to come to grips with her newly-discovered feelings for the Avatar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Care

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of Femslash Revolution's 2016 F/F Diversity Bingo event.

Asami woke up to the sounds of Korra not waking up.

When Asami had first moved into the Air Temple, onto the cot in Korra's room, it had happened more than once a night: first the tossing and turning, then her breathing got sharper and faster, and finally she started muttering to herself in her sleep, indistinct, heartbreaking sounds. Over the past weeks it had been happening less and less, but on occasion Asami still woke to the creaking of Korra's bed and the sound of her begging under her breath. Asami did what she always did; she rolled out of bed and padded across the cold wooden floor, nightgown and robe clutched tightly against her chest, and leaned down to touch Korra's forehead.

It started with the cool press of her palm against Korra's overheated skin, which had sometimes been enough to wake Korra all on its own. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, however; Korra winced and whimpered, her feet kicking at the blankets, and so Asami began to move her fingers, gently stroking Korra's temples.

"It's okay, Korra. Shh...shh, I'm right here. Everything's going to be okay..."

Usually it took a while before the soothing words and touches drew her out. Asami was unprepared when Korra's eyes immediately snapped open, hands flailing wildly and a gout of fire following their motions. Asami barely had time to cross her arms in front of her face before the heat and the force sent her tumbling backward with a shriek of surprise. She dropped them a moment later to find Korra staring at her in wide-eyed horror.

"Asami? I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

Asami was back on her feet, hands wrapping around Korra's as they continued to flail. "Hey, it's okay. Korra, look at me, I'm okay. You didn't hurt me, I'm fine. Just breathe."

Korra let out a shuddering breath, eyes fixed on the floor as Asami kept hold of her hands. The silence stretched on like that, Korra breathing and Asami holding her hands, until finally Korra's head dropped. "I can't even close my eyes. Every time I close my eyes, I..."

She trailed off, and Asami frowned. "You see him."

"No." Korra shook her head violently. "I see...I see me. In chains, in the Avatar state, and I...I'm like an animal, and I can't stop, I just—"

"Shh, shh, it's okay."

"It's not okay!" Tears were gathering in the corners of Korra's eyes. "There's something inside me, and I can feel it, I can feel..." She trailed off and shook her head. Asami frowned.

"Would you...like to go outside?" Korra paused, then nodded meekly. "I'll get your chair."

Asami rolled the wheelchair from its place by the window, sliding it into place as Korra pulled herself slowly toward the edge of the bed. When her legs were dangling off the edge Asami reached under her arm only to have Korra flinch away.

"I don't need your help!" she snapped, then her face immediately fell. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"It's okay. Do you want to do it yourself?"

Korra experimentally lifted herself onto her arms; when they started straining, she dropped back to the bed and shook her head. Asami moved back in, wrapping Korra's robe around her shoulders, then wrapping one arm around Korra's back while the other steadied the chair. Even after two weeks this whole thing was still so alien to Asami, the idea of physically helping Korra do something, especially something like this; Korra's upper body strength had always been—Asami tried not to blush—well, more than adequate, but now it was like that strength had been drained out of her.

After some maneuvering, they managed to get Korra seated, and Asami steered her toward the door. "Where do you want to go? The courtyard?"

Korra licked her lips. "I don't know. Maybe...the orchard? Is that too far?"

Asami smiled. "No, it's fine. I'm getting good at pushing you around," she joked, hoping she hadn't stepped over a line. Thankfully, Korra smiled a little.

"You've always been good at pushing me around," she muttered. Asami smiled back, even though Korra couldn't see, and began to wheel her down the hall. When Asami had to stop to slide open the doors leading outside, Korra looked up. "I don't...did I ever...thank you? For...all of this, for everything?"

Asami paused with her hand on the door. "You don't have to, Korra. This is...something I needed to do."

Asami got back behind Korra as she shifted in her seat, trying to get a better look at Asami's face in the dark. "What do you mean?"

Asami pursed her lips, thankful Korra couldn't look back far enough to see her blush. "I just...wanted to make sure you were okay. After...what happened, I just didn't want to leave you alone."

Korra snorted softly. "Wish Bolin and Mako felt the same way." Asami slowed their pace down the covered pathway that led to the Temple's magnificent gardens, and Korra's shoulders tensed. "I didn't mean..."

"I know. They just...they're guys. They don't know what to say."

Korra chuckled, and Asami wanted to shout with joy: two positive emotions in one night! Soon, however, the pensive expression was back on Korra's face.

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Know what to say?"

Asami stopped. They were at the edge of the walkway now with the orchard in view, as close as they could get without Asami trying to maneuver the wheelchair down the stairs. She really needed to get on the acolytes about those ramps. "I...I'm not really sure. I...know what I want to say."

"What?" Korra turned her head to try to meet her eye, so Asami stepped around to the front of the chair and knelt down to take Korra's hands. Korra's touch had always been so warm; the coolness she felt under that smooth skin now made her as worried about Korra's condition as...well, as everything else did. Asami swallowed, forcing her eyes up to meet Korra's.

"That you are the strongest, toughest, most...most incredible person I've ever met. That I know you can beat this, and that I want to help."

Korra's placid expression broke, and before Asami could panic or apologize or something Korra was collapsing on top of her, arms around her neck and face buried in her hair. With nothing else to do, Asami slid her hands down to Korra's back and held her, listening in agony as the most powerful being in the world cried into her shoulder. "I'm scared," Korra whispered between sobs. "Asami, what if I don't get better?"

"You will. You will, Korra, I...I know you will."

Korra squeezed her harder, and Asami focused on tamping down the feeling rising in her chest, the feeling she'd started to recognize with agonizing clarity as she'd watched Suyin struggle to save Korra's life. Right now, all that mattered was taking care of Korra, no matter how she felt.

Asami didn't know how long the embrace lasted, only that when Korra's iron grip slackened her tears had finally stopped. "Can we go back inside?" Korra muttered against Asami's neck, and Asami nodded as she pulled back.

"Of course. Do you think you can sleep now?"

"Maybe."

Asami tried not to frown as she wheeled Korra back inside. These days, 'maybe' was a resounding success. She took Korra back to her room—their room—and helped her back into bed. Before she could pull away, however, Korra reached out and grabbed her arm. Asami looked down to find Korra's eyes stubbornly trained on the bedsheets. Asami frowned.

"Korra? What's wrong?"

"Would you...you don't have to, but..." Was Korra...blushing? "Would you...hold me? I just...I don't want to be alone, and..."

"Oh." Asami's throat was dry. "Of...of course. Of course I will."

Korra rolled over with a grateful nod, making as much space as she could on the narrow bed, and Asami swallowed hard before she was able to force her body to follow. She didn't want to overstep her bounds, didn't even know what they were, so she was caught off guard when Korra reached back to pull Asami's hand around her waist. Asami pressed closer, Korra's back cool and firm against her chest, and gently rested her head on the back of Korra's neck; she'd always thought it was somewhat amusing that she was taller than the Avatar, but now she could only think of how it made them fit together so perfectly.

"Is this all right?"

"Mm," Korra hummed. That was the last sound she made for a while, to the point that Asami almost thought she'd fallen asleep. But then Korra's head turned slightly, just enough to get her attention. "Asami?"

"Yes?"

"I think you're stronger."

And with that, Korra was asleep.

Asami, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. She was too aware of Korra's body against hers, too distracted by Korra's parting words, too worried about what would happen in the morning, and in the weeks and months to come. She forced herself to breathe.

Korra was asleep. And if sleep was going to come to only one of them, well...that was a price Asami paid gladly. For once in her life, Korra needed someone to take care of her. And Asami wouldn't have traded being that someone for the world.


End file.
